Megumi
| birthday = May 21st | age = 200+ | gender =Female | height = 175cm (5'8") | weight = 79kg | blood type = | affiliation = Coven | previous affiliation = The Kuchiki Clan | profession = Kidō Master | position = Aristoi | previous position = Adept | partner = | previous partner = | base of operations = | relatives = | education = Autodidact | magic = Hadō Specialist | spell = | story debut = Dawn of the Coven | roleplay debut = }} Megumi Kuchiki (恵実, "Fruitful Beauty") is a member of the Kuchiki Clan and the Lieutenant of the Sixth Division, serving under her Captain and relative Byakuya Kuchiki. A driven woman ever since her birth, Megumi strove constantly to elevate herself in the eyes of her elders. But whether it was due to her parents dubious standing within the clan (both of them had repeatedly brought dishonour upon themselves, and were only barely tolerated) or otherwise, her achievements always went unappreciated or were outright ignored. Appearance A sensible woman, Megumi rather abhors the excessive displays of garish colors and billowing garments worn by many other members of the Coven. Where some might have worn a long robe, she instead dons a single brown cloak over a white blouse and khaki pants. This outfits is both comfortable and affords her the space to move fluently, the cloak is largely there for dramatic effect. While she dresses rather plainly and unprovocative, Megumi's name isn't unfounded: with fair features, light porcelain skin, eyes the color of dusk and hair as dark as the wings of a raven. Indeed, good looks earned her a few admirers, although most of them desisted after they found that their advances were pointedly ignored. Indeed, someone well-informed about the Kuchiki Clan might be able to guess at her heritage from her features alone, which many of her former clansmen share, not to mention the dignified way she walks, talks and carries herself. Personality Although she was raised among nobility, Megumi's life was never a simple one, for her parents were held in exceptionally low esteem. In light of this, she grew to rely upon herself and no one else, even as the other women of the clan prepared themselves for their future marriages of convenience, Megumi honed her personal abilities and studied a wide variety of subjects, determined to excel among her peers and impress her elders. Her ambition is perhaps one of the most defining traits of Megumi, far from being a simple Kuchiki wallflower she constantly sought out ways to prove herself despite her low standing. Even now, banished from those she initially sought to impress she remains indomitable in her pursuit of her cause, which now coincides with the Coven's central tenets of issuing forth a true Magocracy. Beyond that, Megumi remains completely disillusioned with mageless individuals, as those who possess no magical potential are to her considered to be "trash", although she derives no pleasure from killing such individuals, she doesn't hesitate doing so if there's no reason to let them live. For this reason, Megumi is therefore a dangerous woman and many a human has inadvertently gotten themselves killed by her. Within the Coven however, her nature is considerably less cold, and she has proven herself to be a worthwhile and loyal ally to the cause -- and willingly puts herself in harms way for the benefit of her new family if necessary. As she genuinely cares for her fellow members and their well-being, even if she conceals it under a cool exterior. History Equipment Megumi's Sword: Unusual for a spellcaster, Megumi carries an European sword on her person, sheathed at her hip. While many would question the need for such an object, it's primary focus is not to aid her in melee combat -- although it can certainly be utilized in this manner. The sword itself is enchanted by Megumi herself and serves as a focus for many of her lightning-themed spells and abilities, almost resembling a weaponized wand in nature. This was inspired by the tales she heard of Seia Tulia Honoria's prowess in battle, a person who Megumi greatly admired, and at one point idolized. Powers & Abilities Advanced Growth Rate: Megumi's capacity for growth was always noted to be significantly above what is ordinary. But unlike most, her growth wasn't brought about by overwhelming innate ability or exceptional talent alone. Nay, for while she was always very gifted, the defining factor of her heightened personal growth can be attributed to the fact that she tended to work harder than everyone else her age. As a consequence, Megumi has fairly low social experience, for most of her life was spent reading and developing her abilities as a Shinigami. Regardless, she's been known to quickly correct past errors and grow stronger at a highly accelerated rate, as a scant hundred years ago she was at the same stage as most Shinigami fresh out of the Academy, and now she is the equal of any captain. Indeed, her innate skill and potential has often been likened to the likes of Byakuya Kuchiki. : As someone born into one of the Four Great Houses of Soul Society, Megumi was naturally gifted with an unusually large amount of spiritual power at birth, a trait she would only continue to refine further as she grew older and more aware of her considerable talents. When unleashed, Megumi's spiritual power is sufficient to terrify most weaker opponents, and easily equals that of most Captain-class adversaries she might face, it eshrouds her body like flickering lavender-colored flames and emanates outwards in waves, washing over anyone nearby and dousing them in her reiatsu. Beyond the raw strength of her reiryoku, Megumi also has exceptionally good spiritual control and is thus capable of casting a myriad of high-ranking spells without tiring, expending just as much energy as necessary to wield her magic. She might also direct her energy outwards in concentrated blasts of raw concussive energy if she wishes to conserve energy for further spellcasting. This is most often employed to casually incapacitate a large group of weaker enemies. : Mobility is essential, all power in the world will scarcely avail you if you're unable to move fast enough to keep up with your foe. Born to a clan with close ties to the Shihouin, Megumi received good tutelage within the art of Flash Step and although she never fully mastered the technique her ability is still great enough to keep up with most captain-class foes. In battle she utilizes her mobility to great effect, to avoid fatal blows and focus all her attention on the offensive without requiring the aid of dedicated Wards to protect her, unlike many of her allies. Opponents often find themselves outmanuvered and forced to contend with an onslaught of powerful spells, as she transitions from place to place in a fleeting manner, while never staying put for long. Magic Swordsman: Weapon-based combat is frequently thought of as primitive, inefficient and outright weak by most members of The Coven; and while Megumi is certainly no exception, she still wields a sword in combat if confronted in close quarters. While many of her peers scoff at this ability, it exists largely due her past desire of being more like her idol, Seia Tulia Honoria -- with her having practised swordsmanship fairly extensively when she was a young wide-eyed little girl. However, be that as it may, one would be foolish to think that a member of the Coven, even one wielding a sword would utilize swordsmanship alone, for the branch that she utilizes is one intended to be used alongside magic. Namely Miwakunohadō, or the Way of the Enchanted Blade. Where her sword is but another foci for her magical abilities, and those who do reach her in melee often find themselves besieged by converging blades of lightning, as she mixes magic and martial prowess in one fatal package. Keen Intellect: The virtue of intelligence can be defined as a thirst for knowledge and the ability to exercise it properly. Megumi was always an unusually bright child, one whose intelligence was paradoxically enhanced by the neglect of her Clan, and their unwillingness to acknowledge her for the rising star she was. In a time where most of her peers were preoccupied with pointless sycophantics and decisions of whom were to marry whom, Megumi concerned herself with matters far more elaborate. Such as reading up on a variety of matters such as the History of Soul Society, the history of the human world, and naturally, the many uses and applications on the arcane arts. Her ability to exercise this intelligence is similarly outstanding, as she's shown herself capable of finding and exploiting flaws in an opponents techniques, psyche or strategy, while simultaneously covering up her own deficiencies. Master Tactician: To a Spellcaster such as Megumi, being able to think ahead and control the battlefield is of the utmost importance. This is especially true given her decision to eschew wards, therefore requiring each of her decisions to be virtually flaws in terms of their execution -- if they're not, and she unwittingly provides herself an opening that a clever foe capitalizes on, she might come to dire harm if she's not able to cast a defensive spell in time. In light of this, Megumi understood that she had to come as close to perfection as possible, and she set out to devote a sizeable portion of her considerable intellect to devise effective tactics in the heat of battle. This has been remarkably successful and oftentimes Megumi defeats an opponent without hardly suffering a scratch by carefully stringing together her spells in such a manner that they either obliterate her foe instantly, or impede her adversary in such a way that their fangs never reach her. It has reached a point where more or less every spell cast by Megumi has a deeper and grander purpose, a purpose that often only becomes apparent after her trap is finally sprung. Kidō Master Magic is without a doubt the single greatest advantage that Shinigami have over other spiritual beings, and Megumi, and the rest of The Coven for that matter, accepts this as an absolute truth. In her eyes, Kidou is far more than an artform to assist in bringing down an enemy, it is a mark of supremacy, a proof that she is set above the common rabble. And to an observer, it would be difficult not to agree with her, for no part of the Zankensoki even comes close to the boundless splendor and spectacular wonder that is the Demon Way. With a wave of her hand Megumi can accomplish more than most may achieve in a lifetime, and compared to the overwhelming potency of magic, swordsmanship appears primitive and ineffectual. Those who foolishly attack her find their bodies torn apart by scintilating bolts of lightning, their arms locked in place by spells of binding and their damage undone by swiftly erected barriers and obstructions. All while those grey eyes regard them cooly and with obvious disinterest. Indeed, it is when she is confronted by those who cling onto the archaic idea of "swordsmanship" and "martial arts" that one might discover Megumi's more sadistic side. As she effortlessly abates their futile attempts at her life, all while casually brushing them aside -- only when their hopes are broken will she finally grant them a quick death. Usually by piercing their head with a bolt of lightning too fast to avoid. A true artist in her craft, Megumi deplores wasting her magic on those who lack the knowledge to appreciate it, and few are those who get to witness her fighting seriously -- and when she does it is a terrifying sight to be sure. Like most Coven members ranked Mage and above, Megumi is capableof casting all spells up to #99 in both Bakudo and Hado without Incantation, and in each case it retains exceptional power. Should Megumi actually cast a spell with it's full incantation the result would be enormous, usually increasing the power of the spell by twenty times it's base power. Although such a display is one rarely made, for it proves to her adversaries that they've managed to challenge her on even ground, and against mageless in particular this is highly humiliating. Uraomote (裏表, "Double Dealing"): Megumi possesses a rather rare talent, rare even among The Kidō Corps; ordinarily, casting a single spell is a dedicated process, one which leaves little room for any other action. The talent known as Uraomote refers to the ability of the individual to cast several spells, usually two, simultaneously. Due to her intelligence and raw skill, the former Kuchiki can wield two spells simultaneously; which allows her to combine spells with astonishing ease while also opening up a whole new avenue of strategy and tactics for her to utilize. Uraomote is a mainstay of her arsenal, and it's extremely rare for her to cast only a single spell at a time. Yamafuda Expert (山札, "Stacked Deck"): A rather unusual Kidō Technique, Yamafuda was once taught in the Corps but it's practise has largely been discontinued due to the inherrent dangers of its use. Originally, adepts of the Corps were of little use to their peers when they first joined, and in an attempt to increase their fighting power and usefulness to the masters the technique Yamafuda was developed. Put in simple terms, those trained in Yamafuda might layer several spells of the same type atop one another as they're preparing their magic, multiplying the spells power drastically without having to rely on verbal components. Unfortunately, if misperformed, the results typically included a backlash of great proportions, often annihilating the caster entirely (alongside any unfortunate individuals who happened to be nearby at the time). These inherent dangers lead to Yamafuda being labelled as a forbidden technique. The Coven are far less scrupulous in these matters than the Kidō Corps and Yamafuda is taught to those who The Masked Man believe skilled enough to control it, Megumi is one such individual. In battle, Megumi primarily utilizes Yamafuda in conjunction with Uraomote to layer multiple instances of the same spell atop one another before then masking them with a well-placed spell, making it seem as though the spell is but a single low-level one, which usually leads to a clean kill when the lone Shakkaho the opponent expected suddenly erupts into a furious firestorm that incinerates them and the surrounding area in a glorious blaze. Alternatively she might use Uraomote to cover herself while she gradually utilizes Yamafuda with her second hand, using her free hand to weave obstructions for her foes, and defenses for herself to ensure that the Stacked Deck is firmly in her favor at it's completion. Eishōhaki Expert: Abandonment of Incantation is the barest of essentials for a true master of Kidō, and one which is poorly understood among the lower echelons, and those not privy to the secrets of the Corps, or of The Coven. Many claim that the ability to cast a spell without incantation and with only the name is the height of achievement, and the focus of Eishōhaki, but this isn't at all the case. That is actually only a step towards the true intent, and that is to be able to wield magic without the need for words at all, in other words, to be able to cast spells silently -- which is a boon that cannot be quantified in its worth. As a Mage of the Coven, and a Kidō Master of great ability, Megumi has shown herself capable of casting spells up until the late 80's without uttering as much as a single word. While this negatively impacts their power, they're only slightly weaker than they would've been if she'd uttered their name and number. Unkōhaki User: The need for somatic movement is to many considered a given in the art of Kidō, but true masters of the Noble Art know that this needn't be the case. Megumi is no different, but although she knows it, the truth is that the skill known as Unkōhaki is brutally difficult to learn and Hiroya Ginkarei is believed to be one of the few people in the History of the Art who have mastered it. Although this frustrates Megumi to no end, she realizes that her current level of skill in the field is more than adequate, for she is indeed capable of using it to a limited degree -- in that she can cast her three mastered spells, Byakurai, Sokatsui and Hakufuku without requiring the use of any gesture at all. Although as expected, their power suffers as a result. Through the use of Hakufuku in this manner, she has successfully incapacitated small parties of Kido Corps operatives on her lonesome by muffling their consciousness - she has also eviscerated Gillians by unleashing a hundred thin streaks of white lightning through them at various angles, all without even turning to face them. Likewise, her enemies frequently find themselves distracted by hundreds of tiny blue fireballs whirling about the battlefield and limiting space to move and operate. Fireballs that Megumi can control remotely and to great effect. Spell Mastery The mastery of specific spells is considered by many true masters of the noble art to be a mark of great excellence. Being the overachiever that she is, Megumi followed suit with that idea, and she's managed to master three spells to the extent that they might be used at will and to great effect and versatility. Armed with any one of these spells, Megumi could fight a battle entirely relying on that single spell; but when its combined with an already great font of knowledge, their value is outstanding and renders her among the Covens greatest battle mages. Byakurai To most Shinigami, is among the first spells to grace their growing arsenal, but while many might wield it, Megumi is one of those who has thoroughly mastered it to the point where it might fill the role of a hundred spells in her hands. In battle arcing bolts of white light shoot out from empty space and slither about the battlefield like serpents, meticulously avoiding any obstructions to reach their mark. To this extent, the most basic application of her Byakurai is to bypass barriers, as this was the spells original function, to pierce through the Hierro of Arrancars and to afford even Academy Students the means to defend themselves as necessary. Indeed, only the fewest of defenses can stand successfully against her for this reason, as a concentrated lance of lightning from her hand leaves avoidance the only realistic option, and one which is subpar at best due to their immense speed. While Byakurai is commonly seen as a single-target spell, Megumi defies this convention, by having her bolts of lightning snake from enemy to enemy in a long and elaborate chain. Entire groups of enemies have been felled in this manner, as they're punished for standing too close to one another. She might use her magic like this otherwise as well, and has been known to use intersectional bolts of Byakurai to create large and elaborate Kidō Nets to be detonated and activated at her discretion, indeed, she even sometimes creates such nets in the form of perfectly sculpted cages of lightning around a group of enemies, thus keeping them still while her allies disposes of them. Perhaps Byakurai's greatest advantage over most other low-level spells is it's sheer range. As it's capable of striking threats hundreds of meters away when wielded by someone capable. In Megumi's hands its range is increased tenfold, and she's been known to utilize the spell in conjunction with her excellent spiritual senses and supportive magic to strike down an enemy from several kilometers away without having a clear short. As the bolt of lightning simply slithers past any obstacles in it's way and blindsides her foe from an unexpected angle, like a brilliantly white serpent in search of prey. Their immense speed leaves little room for reaction, and avoidance usually hinges on pre-emptive measure instead, unless one is of exceptional skill within the art of Hoho. However, the most fearsome aspect of Byakurai lies not in it's penetrative power, nor in its boundless versatility in her hand, nay it would have to be its sheer ease of use. Byakurai perhaps one of the most efficient spells in a Shinigami's arsenal, even when its first learned -- when utilized to the degree Megumi does, its uses are virtually inexhaustible, with each bolt of lightning requiring about as much effort as moving a finger. All while allowing her to greatly increase its power on demand, to the degree that she might produce a spell with power to rival its much greater cousin while requiring only a fraction of its energy expenditure. Sōkatsui Among the Kuchiki, the spell known as Sōkatsui is widely popular, not only for its sheer strength, but also for how much more dignified it feels than its cousin, Shakkahō. The two spells are among the primary spells utilized by Shinigami in combat, and whereas the latter is intended to be unleashed on a single target or a small group, the former is intended to be unleashed on a larger group or a single massive foe, typically a Gillian. When utilized in this manner it deals maximized damage and is enormously effective as a consequence. Beyond that, the spell is also noted for how malleable it is, and many a Shinigami have devised personal variations of it as a result -- but this wasn't nearly enough for Megumi, and she set out to make the spell hers in every sense of the word, and work to truly master it to the degree that she might use it with only a thought. In this, the woman succeeded without question, and while Byakurai is still her all-time favorite and the spell which she is most formidable with; her Sōkatsui is still brilliant in its wealth of uses and immediate potency. Her original desire was to have her spells assume the dynamic shapes of animals, born out of a desire to mimic one of the greatest masters of Kidō in existence. But this task proved to be far beyond her skill level, and whatever shapes she created turned to nothing shortly after their creation. Consequently she was forced to have her spells assume simpler shapes, typically they now appear as hundreds of small blue fireballs which dot the battlefield and prevent free movement as they explode on contact. Megumi might employ these as sources of power when required and it allows her the ability to annihilate a large group of enemies in a single burst. But it would be a poor testimony to her prowess if that was the extent of her mastery with the blue flames, for she's capable of employing it in a plethora of different shapes and forms, ranging from massive spheres of great destructive power to omnidirectional novas fit to annihilate several city blocks. She might even enshroud herself in Sōkatsui to have her opponents burn themselves if they even dare touching her, a tactic she utilizes primarily against melee combatants like swordsmen or martial artists, to further prove how vastly outclassed they are in the face of the power of magic. Hakufuku Infamous among users of magic, the is a powerful spell that combines elements of Enchantment and Illusion to produce an effect that immediately incapacitates whomever looks directly at the caster. It was originally designed to capture high-priority targets alive for questioning, as the spell simultaneously knocks the subject unconscious while also masking their spiritual energy to the reikyaku of their allies and enemies. Hakufuku works by metaphorically strangling the mind of the subject, while distracting them with hallucinations. Although its intended use was primarily intended to be utilitarian, it has been utilized to great effect by assassins in the past, as its easy to perform a coup de grace on an enemy under the effect of Hakufuku. Although far too difficult a spell to be mastered to the same extent as Sōkatsui and Byakurai, Megumi has still managed to perfect a few uses for it.. although those uses are largely non-combative. The first and primary use of her Hakufuku is to completely muddle the parts of an enemies mind that includes free will and individuality; strangling those qualities until they're virtually nonexistent. Once they've been drowned entirely, Megumi puts them under what appears to be a powerful state of hypnosis where they're immensely susceptible to her suggestions. This allows her to make certain individuals thralls of the coven and inspire even the most hateful of enemies to share all the secrets of their organization without blinking. It is not uncommon for Megumi to use this on weaker adversaries to save herself the work of defeating them, by instead forcing them to fight amongst themselves while she sits down somewhere close by and observes the ensuing chaos. But beyond that, it is perhaps most commonly used on prisoners of The Coven who possess significant combat potential -- which she then bewitches and makes into temporary if highly useful pawns to further the cause. When a mission is completed, she knocks them unconscious and subdues any lingering memories they might've had of the event to keep them pliable and susceptible to repeated hypnosis. Trivia *Megumi is the authors first successful female character. *Megumi's Price Level as determined by Otoya Kurogane's Nasty Accountant sits at an impressive 33280 PL. *The pictures used for this article are taken from Narberal Gamma of the anime, Overlord. Behind the Scenes Alongside being an immediate contribution to the Fanon Canon project onsite, Megumi was created to be a middle-powered character who I might use in more low-power roleplays. Considering that the majority of my characters are immensely powerful. Megumi, by contrast allows me to reach a middle-ground. By allowing me to use my favorite part of the Zankensoki on a manageable level.